The Museum of Broadcast Communications - Encyclopedia of Television - Z Cars Z CARS British Police Series Z Cars was the innovative, long-running BBC police series of the 1960s, which has programmed more episodes (667) than any other weekly crime programme on British television. Created by Troy Kennedy-Martin and Elwyn Jones, and produced by David Rose, the series brought a new realism to the genre as it featured day to day policing in Newtown, a fictitious town to the north of Liverpool. At the spearhead of operations were the four police constables: "Jock" Weir, "Fancy" Smith, Bob Steele and Bert Lynch. They occupied the two radio crime cars Z-Victor 1 and Z-Victor 2, from which the series gained its title. Supervising operations via a VHF radio operator in the station, and securing prosecutions in the interrogation room, were Detective Sergeant Watt and the formidable Detective Inspector Barlow. Watched by nearly 14 million viewers in its first season, Z Cars rapidly captured the public imagination, and the leading characters became household names. Though in later seasons new characters might be brought in as replacements and the crime cars up-dated, the same basic formula applied.

Bert Lynch, played by James Ellis, remained throughout the programme's run. Promoted to station sergeant in 1966 he was still in place at the desk when the doors were finally closed down on the cars in 1978. In terms of programme aesthetics, Z Cars attempted to counter the filmic appeal of early North American cop programmes, such as Highway Patrol, with "gritty" realism. This was achieved by close attention to authentic police procedure, observation of working-class behaviour and, most especially, the adoption of regional speech. "Northern" working class subject matter was prominent in 1960s culture, exemplified in feature films like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and A Taste of Honey. However, Z Cars had more in common with the dialogue-led drama and actor-centred performances of ATV's Armchair Theatre and the early years of Granada's Coronation Street. Though later series were able to make more use of film and locations, the look of Z Cars was constructed almost entirely in the television studio.

The 50 minutes of continuous recorded performance provided the space for displays of male comradeship and teamwork, sharp verbal exchanges with members of the community and, most characteristic of all, intense drama in the interrogation room as Barlow bullied and coaxed confessions from his suspects. Overall, Z Cars succeeded in presenting a more human and "down to earth" image of the police than had been previously created on British television. Major crime remained at the periphery of the series and the emphasis was placed instead on domestic and juvenile crime. The programme adopted the social-democratic view of society so prevalent in 1960s Britain, and at times the PCs behaved more like social workers than policemen, as criminal behaviour was explained in terms of social deprivation. The liberal approach, however, was showing signs of exhaustion. Barlow upheld the law with a fierce authoritarianism in the station, and the PCs needed all their ingenuity and skill to enforce it effectively in the community. An on-going theme is the personal cost of securing law and order, and most of the police characters have unsatisfactory family relationships. In one episode, for instance, Watts was shown agreeing to a divorce and in another Steele beats up his wife.

The image of policemen as fallible human beings created some controversy and for a time the Chief Inspector of Lancashire withdrew his support from the programme apprehensive that it might undermine public confidence in the police. In the course of its long run the programme established the reputations of many production participants, including actors such as Stratford Johns, Frank Windsor, Colin Welland, Brian Blessed and James Ellis, producers/directors such as Shaun Sutton, David Rose and John McGrath, and writers such as Troy Kennedy-Martin, John Hopkins, Alan Plater and Allan Prior. Z Cars has been a major influence on the course of TV police fiction in Britain. The long-running C.I.D. series Softly-Softly (1966-75) was a direct spin-off from it, achieved by promoting Barlow to the rank of chief inspector, transferring him to a regional crime squad and replacing the squad car with a dog-handling unit. Recent British programmes about community policing as different as The Bill and Heartbeat continue to draw from the Z Cars idea.

One of the most interesting reworkings of the programme's basic format was BBC's Juliet Bravo (1980-88) which, in keeping with 1980s gender politics, transferred the power from male C.I.D. officers to a uniformed female inspector. -Bob Millington This is Your Life - Stratford Johns - 1963 - Barlow - Z-Cars - YouTube This is Your Life - Stratford Johns - 1963 - Barlow - Z-Cars Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Feb 7, 2015 Here's a rare 1963 episode of This is Your Life the biography show hosted by Eamonn Andrews and the subject is Stratford Johns Stratford Johns, born Alan Edgar Stratford-Johns, (22 September 1925 - 29 January 2002) was a popular British stage, film and television actor who is best remembered for his starring role as Detective Inspector Charlie Barlow in the innovative and long-running BBC police series Z-Cars, created by Troy Kennedy-Martin. Stratford Johns, born Alan Edgar Stratford-Johns, (22 September 1925 – 29 January 2002 [1]) was a popular English stage, film and television actor who is best remembered for his starring role as Detective Inspector Charlie Barlow in the innovative and long-running BBC police series Z-Cars. South African-born Stratford Johns was forever associated with the role of tough, abrasive Superintendant Charlie Barlow on TV's Z Cars (1962) and its sequels Softly Softly: Task Force (1969) and Barlow (1971).

In between, he also played Barlow in the miniseries Jack the Ripper (1973) (which, in turn, led to a 'cold case' investigation series called Second Verdict (1976)). He even spoofed his famous screen detective on The Two Ronnies (1971). His perennial sidekick was the actor Frank Windsor (in the role of Sergeant Watt), who once jokingly referred to their on-screen partnership as being "the Morecambe and Wise of serious television". Johns was educated in Pietermaritzburg in Natal Province. He began working life as a deckhand with the South African Navy during World War II. He then had a brief spell as an accountant, before finding his vocation in the dramatic arts. After some work in local repertory companies, he went to England on a one-way ticket in 1948, acting for four and a half years on stage in Southend-on-Sea, followed by a comedy act in the variety halls. Since this amounted to little more than a meager income, Johns was forced to make ends meet by doing handyman jobs, building fences, painting and gardening.

His big break came in 1962, when he was presented with the choice of whether to accept a small part in the epic blockbuster Cleopatra (1963), or, alternatively, screen test for a new BBC police series (initially called "Crime Cars"). Though tempted by the gentler Roman climate, he wisely chose the latter. For better or worse, Johns became identified with Barlow to such an extent over the years, that he was even sought-after by police for recruitment drives on television. Conversely, though he occasionally attempted to break away from typecasting, especially on stage, he was rarely deemed to have succeeded. Category Standard YouTube License Music TV Shows We Used To Watch - Z-Cars 1962-78 | Z-Cars or Z Car… | Flickr Paul Townsend By: Paul Townsend TV Shows We Used To Watch - Z-Cars 1962-78 Z-Cars or Z Cars was a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, Merseyside. Produced by the BBC, it debuted in January 1962 and ran until September 1978.

The series differed sharply from earlier police procedurals. With its less-usual Northern setting, it injected a new element of harsh realism into the image of the police, which some found unwelcome. Z-Cars ran for a total of 803 episodes, of which less than half have survived. Regular stars included Stratford Johns (Detective Inspector Barlow), Frank Windsor (Det. Sgt Watt), James Ellis (Bert Lynch) and Brian Blessed ("Fancy" Smith). Barlow and Watt were later spun into a separate series Softly, Softly. The name Z-Cars relates to an imaginary ‘Z’ Division of the local constabulary. The theme tune was based on a traditional Liverpool folk song, and was adopted by Everton Football Club as its official anthem. The title, contrary to popular belief, does not come from the cars used, as in Ford Zephyr and Ford Zodiac. In fact, the Zodiac was never used by British police, whereas the Zephyr was the standard patrol traffic car (not the same as "crime car") used by Lancashire and other police forces.

The term comes from the radio call signs allocated by Lancashire Constabulary; Lancashire police divisions were lettered from north to the south, "A" Division (based in Ulverston) was the detached part of Lancashire at the time around Barrow-in-Furness, "B" Division was Lancaster, and so on. Letters further into the alphabet were in the south around the Manchester and Liverpool areas. The TV series took the non-existent signs Z-Victor 1 and Z-Victor 2. The stories revolve around pairs of officers patrolling that week. Riding on changing social attitudes and television, the social realism, with interesting stories, garnered popularity. It was initially less popular with real-life police, who disliked the sometimes unsympathetic characterisation of officers. Being set in the North of England helped give it a regional flavour when most BBC dramas were set in the south. The one character present throughout the entire run was Bert Lynch, played by James Ellis (though John Phillips as Det. Chief Supt. Robins would reappear sporadically during the show's run – by the end of the series he had become Chief Constable).

Other characters in the early days were Stratford Johns (Inspector Barlow), Frank Windsor (Det. Sgt Watt), Robert Keegan (Sgt Blackitt), Joseph Brady (PC "Jock" Weir) and Brian Blessed ("Fancy" Smith). Also in 1960s episodes as David Graham was Colin Welland later a screenwriter. Other British actors who played regular roles in the early years included Joss Ackland. Although he played no regular role in the series, future Monkee Davy Jones appeared in three episodes. The original run ended in 1965; Barlow, Watt and Blackitt were spun off into a new series Softly, Softly. It was revived in March 1967 with only James Ellis and Joseph Brady from the original show. The revival was produced by the serials department of the BBC in a twice-weekly soap opera format of 25-minute episodes. It ran until April 1971 (in colour from early 1970), then returned to a regular season pattern of 50-minute episodes for its final years.

The spin-off, Softly, Softly focused on the regional crime squad, and ran until 1969, when it was again revised and became Softly, Softly: Taskforce, running until 1976. The character of Barlow (Stratford Johns) was one of the best-known figures in British television in the 1960s and 1970s, and was given several seasons of his own "solo" series, Barlow at Large (later just Barlow) between 1971–75. He also joined Watt (Frank Windsor) to re-investigate the Jack the Ripper murders for a six-part series in 1973. This led to another spin-off, Second Verdict in which Barlow and Watt looked into unsolved cases and unsafe convictions. Frank Windsor made a final appearance as Watt in the last episode of Z-Cars, "Pressure", in September 1978, with Robins (John Phillips), the Detective Chief Superintendent from the original series who had risen to chief constable. Jeremy Kemp, Brian Blessed, Joseph Brady and Colin Welland also made guest appearances in the episode, but not as their original characters.

(1962–1965 & 1967–1978 / 12 Series / 803 episodes) DCI Charlie Barlow – Stratford Johns (1962–1965 / Series 1–5 / 126 episodes) DS John Watt – Frank Windsor (1962–1965, 1978 / Series 1–5, 12 / 130 episodes) PC "Jock" Weir – Joseph Brady (1962–1965, 1967-1968 / Series 1–6 / 165 episodes) PC/DC/Sgt./Insp.

Bert Lynch – James Ellis (1962–1965, 1967–1978 / Series 1–12 / 565 episodes) PC "Fancy" Smith – Brian Blessed (1962–1965 / Series 1–5 / 113 episodes) PC Bob Steele – Jeremy Kemp (1962-1963 / Series 1–2 / 34 episodes) Sgt. Percy Twentyman – Leonard Williams (1962 / Series 1–2 / 30 episodes) PC Ian Sweet – Terence Edmond (1962–1964 / Series 1–3 / 78 episodes) DC Glyn Hicks – Michael Forrest (1962–1964 / Series 2–3 / 36 episodes) PC David Graham – Colin Welland (1962–1965, / Series 2–5 / 85 episodes) Sgt.

Bob Blackitt – Robert Keegan (1962–1965 / Series 2–5 / 108 episodes) PC Ken Baker – Geoffrey Whitehead (1964–1965 / Series 4 / 29 episodes) PC Taylor – Marcus Hammond (1964-1965 / Series 4 / 20 episodes) Paula Poulton (BD Girl) – Sara Aimson (1965 / Series 4–5 / 23 episodes) PC Ray Walker - Donald Gee (1965 / Series 4–5 / 18 episodes) DI/DCI Sam Hudson – John Barrie (1967, 1968 / Series 6 / 32 episodes) DS Tom Stone – John Slater (1967-1974 / Series 6–9 / 431 episodes) PC Owen Culshaw – David Daker (1967–1968 / Series 6 / 82 episodes) PC Steve Tate – Sebastian Breaks (1967 / Series 6 / 34 episodes) PC Alec May – Stephen Yardley (1967

–1968 / Series 6 / 68 episodes) WPC Parkin – Pauline Taylor (1967–1969 / Series 6 / 58 episodes) PC Bill Newcombe – Bernard Holley (1967–1971 / Series 6 / 292 episodes) BD Girl – Jennie Goossens (1967–1971 / Series 6–7 / 146 episodes) DI Todd – Joss Ackland (1967–1968 / Series 6 / 40 episodes) PC Jackson – John Wreford (1967–1968 / Series 6 / 32 episodes) DI Alan Witty – John Woodvine (1968–1969 / Series 6 / 62 episodes) PC Doug Roach – Ron Davies (1968–1969 / Series 6 / 60 episodes) PC Bruce Bannerman – Paul Angelis (1968–1969 / Series 6 / 128 episodes) PC/Sgt.

Alec Quilley – Douglas Fielding (1969–1978 / Series 6–12 / 345 episodes) DI/Mr. Neil Goss – Derek Waring (1969–1973 / Series 6–8 / 226 episodes) PC/DC Joe Skinner – Ian Cullen (1969–1975 / Series 6–9 / 222 episodes) PC Reg Horrocks – Barry Lowe (1970–1975, 1977 / Series 6–9, 11 / 29 episodes) PC/Sgt.

Bowman – John Swindells (1970–1973 / Series 6–7 / 40 episodes) DS Cecil Haggar – John Collin (1971–1976, 1978 / Series 6–7, 9–10,12 / 51 episodes) DC Dave Scatliff – Geoffrey Hayes (1971–1974 / Series 6–8 / 27 episodes) PC Shaun Covill – Jack Carr (1971–1972 / Series 6–7 / 39 episodes) PC Fred Render – Allan O'Keefe (1971–1978 / Series 6–12 / 65 episodes) DS/DI Terry Moffat – Ray Lonnen (1972–1977 / Series 7–11 / 25 episodes) DS Wilf Miller – Geoffrey Whitehead (1972–1975 / Series 6–9 / 22 episodes) DC Jim Braithwaite – David Jackson (1972–1978 / Series 7–12 / 

22 episodes) Sgt.

Gilbert Chubb – Paul Stewart (1974–1978 / Series 9–12 / 25 episodes) DC/DS Bernard Bowker - Brian Grellis (1974–1978 / Series 9–12 / 19 episodes) Dorothy White – Janey Steele (1962–1963 / Series 1–2 / 14 episodes) Frank Hawkins - Sgt/Insp Barnes (1962–63 / 20 episodes) John Phillips – DCS/ACC/Chief Con.

Robins (1962–1965, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1978 / Series 1–4, 6–7, 12 / 14 episodes) Virginia Stride – Katy Hoskins (BD Girl) (1962–1964 / Series 1–3 / 18 episodes) Lynne Furlong - WPC Jenny Stacey (1962–1965 / Series 1–4 / 24 episodes) Ken Jones – DC Bob "Lofty" Smithers – Police Photographer (1962–64 / / Series 1-3 / 8 episodes) Dudley Foster – DI/Supt.

Dunn (1962, 1964 / Series 1, 3 / 13 episodes) Leslie Sands – DCS Miller (1962–63, 1965, 1967, 1969 / Series 1–4, 6 / 12 episodes) Diane Aubrey - Sally Clarkson (BD Girl) (1962 / Series 1–2 / 24 episodes) James Cossins – Sgt.

Michaelson (1962–1963 / Series 2 / 11 episodes) Hilary Martyn – Joan Longton (BD Girl) (1962–1963 / Series 2 / 13 episodes) Leonard Rossiter – DI Bamber (1963 / Series 2 / 8 episodes) Sidonie Bond – Betty Clayton (BD Girl) (1963 / Series 2 / 16 episodes) John Thaw – DC Elliot (1963 / Series 3 / 4 episodes) Kate Brown – Shirley Burscough (BD Girl) (1963 / Series 3 / 16 episodes) Kate Allitt – Pamela Earnshaw (BD Girl) (1964 / Series 3 / 12 episodes) Lynn Farleigh – Ann Fazakerley (BD Girl) (1964 / Series 3–4 / 17 episodes) Susan Jameson – WPC Nelson (1965,1975 / Series 4,9 / 6 episodes) Donald Webster – PC Foster (1965 / Series 4 / 8 episodes) Luanshya Greer

 – WPC Jane Shepherd (1967 / Series 6 / 6 episodes) Anjula Harman – BD Girl (1967, 1969 / Series 6 / 15 episodes) Christopher Coll – DC Kane (1967–1968 / Series 6 / 20 episodes) Doreen Aris – Betty Culshaw (1967–1968 / Series 6 / 8 episodes) George Sewell – DI Brogan (1967 / Series 6 / 6 episodes) Thelma Whiteley – Sally Stone (1967, 1969–1970 / Series 6 / 8 episodes) Victor Brooks – Sgt.

Potter (1968–1969 / Series 6 / 10 episodes) William Dexter – D Supt. Oakley (1968–1971 / Series 6 / 6 episodes) John Livesey – PC Stack (1969 / Series 6 / 13 episodes) June Watson – WPC/WP Sgt. Lorna Cameron (1970, 1973–1975 / Series 6, 8–9 / 8 episodes) Jerome Willis – Supt./D Supt. Roy Richards (1971–1973 / Series 6–7 / 4 episodes) Stephanie Turner – WPC Anne Howarth (1971–1975 / Series 6–9 / 15 episodes) James Walsh – PC Lindsay (1971–1974 / Series 7–9 / 10 episodes) John Challis – Sgt.

Frank Culshaw (1972–1975 / Series 7–9 / 13 episodes) Gary Watson – DI Fred Connor (1972–1974 / Series 7–8 / 11 episodes) Nicholas Smith – PC Jeff Yates (1972–1975 / Series 7–9 / 9 episodes) Kenton Moore – Insp./CI Logie (1972–1974 / Series 7–8 / 4 episodes) Tommy Boyle – DI Gerry Madden (1978 / Series 12 / 8 episodes) Victoria Plucknett – WPC Jane Beck (1978 / Series 12 / 3 episodes) Done Stratford Johns | The Independent Stratford Johns Thursday 31 January 2002 00:00 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Alan Edgar Stratford Johns, actor: born Pietermaritzburg, South Africa 22 February 1925; married 1955 Nanette Ryder (one son, three daughters); died Heveningham, Suffolk 29 January 2002.

News: 'Softly, Softly' star Johns dies, aged 77 More than any other fictional character, Charlie Barlow revolutionised the image of the British police on screen. In the groundbreaking 1960s series Z Cars, the heavyweight detective inspector, played by Stratford Johns, was a bully who used verbal, and sometimes physical, abuse while interrogating suspects. Even hardened criminals found the psychopathic policeman intimidating. Johns made the character his own. He recalled: I was annoyed that the police had always been portrayed as pipe-smoking bunglers who occasionally stumbled over a corpse. I was bored with it. I had two lines as a detective in a Rod Steiger film, Across the Bridge, in which I was supposed to indicate that I wasn't overpowered by Steiger. I brought a little reality into it, did a rather bad-tempered act. It got a good reaction. So I tried it on Z Cars. The producer said, "Why are you doing it like that?" I said, "Barlow went home last night, had a row with his wife, got out of bed, went downstairs and drank half a bottle of Scotch, sitting on his own.

He went back to bed and got up with a hangover." They liked it and bad-tempered Barlow was born. The programme, created by Troy Kennedy Martin and set in a fictional Liverpool suburb, was an immediate success and in sharp contrast to the cosiness of the BBC's other police drama, Dixon of Dock Green. The abrasive Barlow was Z Cars' most popular character and, rising to the rank of detective chief superintendent, was also featured in four spin-off series over 10 years. Johns's own life began in 1925 in South Africa, where he acted in amateur theatre while studying to be an accountant. Deciding to make a career out of acting, he moved to Britain in April 1948 and spent five years with a theatre company in Southend. He then landed film roles, often as unsavoury types, in pictures such as Burnt Evidence (1954), the Ealing Studios classic comedy The Ladykillers (as a security guard, 1955), the Second World War gunboat drama The Ship That Died of Shame (starring Richard Attenborough, 1955), Benny Hill's first film, Who Done It?

(as a policeman, 1955), the Scotland Yard thriller The Long Arm (again as a policeman, 1956) and The Young Ones (starring Cliff Richard, 1961). His career took a dramatic change when he landed the role of Detective Inspector Charlie Barlow in Z Cars (1962-65). The action switched between the fictional old port of Seaport (based on Liverpool's Seaforth) and the new housing estates of Newtown. Kennedy Martin, along with the producer, David Rose, script editor, John Hopkins, and other writers, who included Allan Prior and Robert Barr, gave the series a hard edge. The first episode, broadcast on 5 January 1962, opened with Barlow and Detective Sergeant John Watt (Frank Windsor) standing by the grave of a colleague killed in the course of duty. The pair smoked cigarettes and talked cynically about the chances of their friend's murderer hanging for his crime. On their way back to the police station, Barlow told Watt that they were to head a new crime division with mobile police officers.

As their team, they picked constables Bob Steele (Jeremy Kemp), Bert Lynch (James Ellis), Fancy Smith (Brian Blessed) and Jock Weir (Joseph Brady). These characters quickly became television legends, as Z Cars attracted up to 14 million viewers. So popular were Barlow and Watt that they were given their own series, Softly Softly (1966-70). Leaving Newtown, the pair – promoted to detective chief superintendent and detective inspector respectively – joined a regional crime squad, Wyvern, near Bristol. The programme was retitled Softly Softly: task force (1970-71) when Barlow was made Head of Thamesford Constabulary CID and supervising officer of the constabulary's task force, assisted by Watt and Detective Sergeant Hawkins (Norman Bowler). Barlow was seconded to the Home Office in both Barlow at Large (1971, 1973) and Barlow (1974-75). In these series, Johns was seen in the world of diplomacy and political intrigue, and in foreign locations.

Interestingly, Johns and Frank Windsor reprised their famous screen roles in Jack the Ripper (1973), a six-part, dramatised account of a reinvestigation of the Whitechapel Murders of 1888, and Second Verdict (1976), which looked into six other crimes of the past. Johns's subsequent television roles included Piso in I Claudius (1976), a green, power-mad frog in Doctor Who (1981), Lord Rothermere in Winston Churchill – the Wilderness Years (1981), Abel Magwitch in Great Expectations (1981), the Home Secretary in the mini- series The Secret Agent (1992) and the headmaster A.B. Noon in The Life and Times of Henry Pratt (1992). Johns was the original Daddy Warbucks in the West End production of Annie (Victoria Palace Theatre, 1978), a role for which he shaved his head. He also played The Ghost of Christmas Present in the world premiere of Scrooge (Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham). In his private life, Johns experienced turbulent times.

His son Alan was jailed for six months in 1983 for smuggling morphine; and six years later served another drug-related jail term. Johns revealed that the first court case had brought him back together with his actress wife Nanette Ryder – the daughter of another veteran actor, Morris Parsons, who played Wilf Harvey in Crossroads – after they had split up. But in 1988 she had Johns arrested for assault, although she dropped the charge a day later. In the same year, the couple's son Alan and younger daughter Lissa told a newspaper that they had suffered domestic violence at the hands of their parents. Another daughter, Peta, a theatre company manager, later said: "My parents were fairly volatile but their rows and drinking were blown out of all proportion." Anthony Hayward Barlow - YIFY TV Series Torrent Download - YIFY Movies Drama Barlow at Large is a British television programme broadcast in the 1970s, starring Stratford Johns in the title role. Johns had previously played Barlow in the Z-Cars, Softly, Softly and Softly, Softly: Taskforce series on BBC television during the 1960s and early 1970s.

Barlow at Large began as a three-part self-contained spin-off from Softly, Softly: Taskforce in 1971 with Barlow co-opted by the home office to investigate police corruption in Wales. Johns left Softly, Softly for good in 1972, but returned for a further series of Barlow at Large in the following year, Barlow having gone on full-time secondment to the Home Office. This second series, rather than telling one story in serial form, as the 1971 series had, was instead ten 50-minute episodes, each with a self-contained story. In this series, Barlow was supported by Norman Comer as Detective Sergeant Rees, who had been helpful to him during the first series. He also had to deal with the political machinations of the senior civil servant Fenton. In 1974 the series was renamed Barlow and a further two series of eight episodes each followed, introducing the character of Detective Inspector Tucker, played by Derek Newark. The final episode was transmitted in February 1975.

The Barlow character was seen again in the series Second Verdict in which he, along with his former colleague John Watt, looked into unsolved cases and unsafe convictions from history. First Air Date: 1971-09-15 Z-Cars - 必应 Sign in Z-Cars Z-Cars or Z Cars /ˈzɛd ˌkɑrz/ was a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, Merseyside. Produced by the BBC , it debuted in January 1962 and ran until September 1978. The series differed sharply from earlier police procedurals. With its less-usual Northern setting, it injected a new element of harsh realism into the image of the police, which some found unwelcome. Z-Cars ran for a total of 803 episodes, of which fewer than half have survived. Regular st ... (展开) ars included Stratford Johns (Detective Inspector Barlow), Frank Windsor (Det. Sgt Watt), James Ellis (Bert Lynch) and Brian Blessed ("Fancy" Smith).

Barlow and Watt were later spun into a separate series Softly, Softly. The name Z-Cars relates to an imaginary "Z" Division of the local constabulary. The theme tune was based on a traditional Liverpool folk song, and was adopted by Everton Football Club as its official anthem. Z-Cars是个什么车？英国好像有同名电视剧？ 答 England是很老的电视剧了哦 哈哈做好心理准备" Color (1970-1978) Filming Locations; Drama Runtime:English Color:2 January 1962 (UK) Genre; 50 min (337 episodes) Country:UK __... Z-Cars Origin of the title The title comes from the radio call signs allocated by Lancashire Constabulary: Lancashire police divisions were lettered from north to the south, "A" Division (based in Ulverston) was the detached part of Lancashire at the time around Barrow-in-Furness, "B" Division was Lancaster, and so on. Letters further into the alphabet were in the south around the Manchester and Liverpool areas. The TV series took the non-existent signs Z-Victor 1 and Z-Victor 2.

The title does not come from the cars used, as in Ford Zephyr and Ford Zodiac. The Zodiac was never used by British police as a standard patrol car, but was used in the form of "Motorway Patrol Vehicles", because of its larger, more powerful engine. These vehicles could be seen in a white livery with "POLICE" in large blue letters on the sides of the vehicle, along with broad red-orange stripes. Such vehicles were later used as "crime cars", used to respond to major crimes. Some of them also carried a "lock-box" that contained firearms to be used by "Armed Response Teams", especially in response to armed robberies and terrorist incidents of the seventies. The Zephyr was the standard patrol traffic car (not the same as "crime car") used by Lancashire and other police forces. Z-Cars Concept and principal characters 'Z Cars' as an idea came to Troy Kennedy Martin listened to police messages on his radio when trying to relieve the boredom of being ill in bed with mumps. The creation of rapidly-expanding, artificially-created communities in the years after World War II ended brought with them many problems.

Liverpool suffered much damage in the war and Liverpool Corporation, having many slums to contend with, bought land in the surrounding areas into which they moved industry. With the people were relocated en masse into newly developed "overspill" estates, the area became the new town of Kirkby. Kennedy Martin set his programme in the fictional Newtown, loosely based on Kirkby, one of many housing estates that had sprung up across Britain in the post-war years, and which was a modern suburb of the neighbouring (and ageing) "Seaport". The stories revolve around pairs of officers patrolling that week. Riding on changing social attitudes and television, the social realism, with interesting stories, garnered popularity for Z Cars. It was initially less popular with real-life police, who disliked the sometimes unsympathetic characterisation of officers. Being set in the North of England helped give Z Cars a regional flavour when most BBC dramas were set in the south. It directly challenged the BBC's popular police drama Dixon of Dock Green, which at that point had been running for seven years but which some viewed as 'cosy'. The one character present throughout the entire run (though not in every episode) was Bert Lynch, played by James Ellis (though John Phillips as Det.

Chief Supt. Robins would reappear sporadically during the show's run – by the end of the series he had become Chief Constable). Other characters in the early days were Stratford Johns (Inspector Barlow), Frank Windsor (Det. Sgt Watt), Robert Keegan (Sgt Blackitt), Joseph Brady (PC "Jock" Weir) and Brian Blessed ("Fancy" Smith). Also in 1960s episodes as David Graham was Colin Welland later a screenwriter. Other British actors who played regular roles in the early years included Joss Ackland. Although he played no regular role in the series, future Monkee Davy Jones appeared in three episodes.[vague] Z-Cars Episodes Z-Cars ran for 803 episodes. The original run ended in 1965; Barlow, Watt and Blackitt were spun off into a new series Softly, Softly. When the BBC was looking for a twice-weekly show to replace a series of failed 'soaps' (one example being United!, Z Cars was revived.

The revival was produced by the BBC's serials department in a twice-weekly soap opera format of 25-minute episodes and only James Ellis and Joseph Brady remained from the original show's run. It was shown from March 1967, both 25-minute segments each week comprising one story. It ran like this until the episode "Kid's Stuff" (broadcast on 30 March 1971), shown as a single 50-minute episode for the week, proved the longer format would still work. Thereafter, Z Cars was shown in alternating spells of either 2 x 25 minutes episodes or the single 50-minute episode each week over the next sixteen months. This arrangement ended with the showing of the final 2-parter, "Breakage" (Series 6, Parts 74 & 75, 21 & 22 August 1972 respectively), after which the series returned permanently to a regular pattern of 1 x 50-minute episodes per week. Z-Cars Theme music The Z-Cars theme tune was arranged by Fritz Spiegl and his then-wife, composer Bridget Fry from the traditional Liverpool folk song "Johnny Todd".

(Many sources credit Spiegl only, and some Fry only, but some of the end-of-programme credits listed them both.)[clarification needed] It was released on record in several versions in 1962. Johnny Keating's version (Piccadilly Records, 7N.35032) sold the best, reaching #8 on the Record Retailer chart and as high as #5 on some UK charts, whilst the Norrie Paramor Orchestra's version, on Columbia DB 4789, peaked at #33. A vocal version of the theme, using the original ballad's words, was released by cast member James Ellis on Philips Records; this missed the charts. The song in Spiegl and Fry's arrangement is also used as the anthem for English football club Everton and is played at every home match as they walk onto the pitch at Goodison Park. It is also occasionally used by their local rivals Tranmere Rovers for their home games at Prenton Park stadium, on the other side of the Mersey. The tune is also used as the march-on anthem at Watford F.C. home games.

After Z-Cars The spin-off Softly, Softly focused on the regional crime squad, and ran until 1969, when it was again revised and became Softly, Softly: Taskforce, running until 1976. The character of Barlow (Stratford Johns) was one of the best-known figures in British television in the 1960s and 1970s, and was given several seasons of his own "solo" series, Barlow at Large (later just Barlow) between 1971–75. He also joined Watt (Frank Windsor) to re-investigate the Jack the Ripper murders for a six-part series in 1973. This led to another spin-off, Second Verdict in which Barlow and Watt looked into unsolved cases and unsafe convictions. Frank Windsor made a final appearance as Watt in the last episode of Z-Cars, "Pressure", in September 1978, with Robins (John Phillips), the Detective Chief Superintendent from the original series who had risen to chief constable.

Jeremy Kemp, Brian Blessed, Joseph Brady and Colin Welland also made guest appearances in the episode, but not as their original characters. Z-Cars Lost episodes Z-Cars is incomplete in the archives. The period 1962–65 is reasonably well represented, though with big gaps. With the 1967–71 sixth series, when the programme was shown almost every week, material becomes more patchy. Of the 416 episodes made for this series, only 108 survive: a few episodes each from 1967, 1969, and 1970, but there are no surviving episodes at all from either 1968 or 1971. About forty percent of the approximately eight hundred total episodes are preserved. The original series was one of the last British television dramas to be screened as a live production. With videotaping becoming the norm and telerecording a mature method of preserving broadcasts the practice of live broadcasting drama productions was rare by the time the programme began in 1962. Going out "live" was a preference of the series' producer David Rose, who felt it helped immediacy and pace and gave it an "edge".

As a result episodes were still not being pre-recorded as late as 1965. Most were videotaped for a repeat, although the tapes – often a large part of a programmes' budget – were normally wiped for re-use, once the episodes were telerecorded. Existing on film greatly enhanced the chances of the episodes surviving, especially when monochrome programmes (whether on expensive videotape or cheaper film) were relegated in importance by the advent of colour broadcasting in the UK.[better source needed] The telerecording of the first-ever episode was returned to writer Allan Prior in the 1980s by an engineer who had taken it home to preserve it because his children had enjoyed the programme and he could not bring himself to destroy it. This with two other early editions were released on BBC Video in 1993. Two episodes were returned in 2004 after turning up in a private collection. Colour episodes from the early 1970s are less likely to be recovered, as they were never telerecorded for export.[better source needed] BBC Archive Treasure Hunt is currently seeking missing episodes. All episodes from the 1975–1978 period are preserved in the archives.

Z-Cars References ^ "UK Police Force callsigns". The Alliance of British Drivers. Retrieved 27 November 2015. ^ "Troy Kennedy Martin: Innovative writer who created 'Z Cars' and wrote 'Edge of Darkness' and 'The Italian Job'". The Independent (London). 17 September 2009. ^ Leishman, Frank; Mason, Paul (2003). Policing and the Media: Facts, Fictions and Factions (Policing & Society). p.56. ISBN1903240298. ^ Rolinson, David. "Dixon of Dock Green in the 1970s". British Television Drama. Retrieved 27 November 2015. ^ "Z Cars". TV.com. Retrieved 27 November 2015. ^ a b Barker, Dennis (25 March 2003). "Fritz Spiegl: Witty musical polymath and broadcaster". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 22 April 2012. ^ "James Ellis (6) – Johnny Todd". Discogs.

Retrieved 27 November 2015. ^ "Everton's Origins: Z-Cars Theme". ToffeeWeb. Retrieved 22 April 2012. ^ "Chairman on Z-Cars return". Watford Football Club. 23 April 2005. Retrieved 22 April 2012. ^ Richard Down and Christopher Perry, The British Television Drama Research Guide, 1950–1997, with Full Archive Holdings, second revised edition (Bristol: Kaleidoscope Publishing, 1997): DZ1–DZ5. ISBN 1-900203-04-9. ^ a b Wiping ^ ^ "The BFI TV 100: 1-100". BFI. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. See also: 100 Greatest British Television Programmes ^ Alison Graham, "Take the Big TV Challenge!" Radio Times (30 August–5 September 2003), 16–21. Citation on p. 21.

Z-Cars: What we were watching 40 years ago - BT Print this story Devised as a darker and more honest portrayal of British policing than the friendly ‘bobby’ of Dixon of Dock Green, Z-Cars was the BBC’s first proper British cop show. Running on BBC One from 1962 to 1978, the gritty series coincided with real-life headlines about police corruption and increasing social unrest, while its characters struck a chord with viewers as coppers became seen as fallible rather than cheery heroes. One of the show’s early writers, John McGrath, singled out the show’s appeal when he argued that the show exposed a world with “no reassuring endings”. (Z-Cars cast reunion) Based in the fictional town of Newton, the setting was based on Kirkby in Merseyside, meaning the show also captured the wave of Merseybeat mania just as The Beatles were taking America by storm. Z-Cars’ leading stars included Stratford Johns as Detective Inspector Barlow, Frank Windsor as Detective Sgt Warr, James Ellis as Bert Lynch and a surprisingly understated Brian Blessed as ‘Fancy’ Smith.

Although the show’s more stark and harsh view of the world wasn’t to everyone’s tastes when it first aired, it was a big ratings hit for the BBC and its theme tune from Fritz Spiegl – based on a Liverpool folk song – remains unforgettable. What else was in the TV schedules 40 years ago this week? Oliver Postgate’s children’s classic Ivor The Engine was enchanting young viewers Child star Lena Zavaroni was a guest on The Morecambe and Wise show The Liver Birds and Steptoe and Son were the Friday night comedies The show’s violence and edge wouldn’t register on the radars of contemporary viewers, but when it first aired the show’s integrity and social realism marked it out as an extraordinary show - disliked by police chiefs, loved by viewers. (Z-Cars star Brian Blessed) Z-Cars is regularly recognised as one of the most influential shows in UK TV history and was voted in the Top 100 in a poll at the Millennium to find the greatest programmes from the 20th Century. Were you a fan of Z-Cars? Share your memories of the classic series in the Comments section below. Photo Credit: PA/Rex Z-Cars: Did you know?

• The theme tune for Z-Cars, based on a traditional Liverpool folk song, is played by Everton FC when their players run out onto the pitch. • Of the 804 episodes of the show, 466 are believed to have been wiped out from the BBC archives. • John Thaw and Judi Dench made early TV appearances on the show. • The character Ted Bowman reappeared in the Canadian series Sidestreet. • The Ford Zephyrs used in the black and white episodes were actually primrose yellow – as it looked sharper on black and white film. • 1960s pop combo The Newtowns were named after the series. • Michael Caine turned down the chance to star as PC Bob Steele. • The show spawned the successful spin-off series Softly, Softly, which ran for five series between 1966 and 1969. • The original series was one of the last British television dramas to be screened as a live production.

The Museum of Broadcast Communications - Encyclopedia of Television - Windsor, Frank WINDSOR, FRANK British Actor Frank Windsor is one of the most well-known stalwarts of British police drama serials, having co-starred in several such productions since the 1960s. His career as a television performer started in radically different shows from those with which he was destined to become most closely associated, with appearances in the Shakespearean anthology An Age of Kings and subsequently in the science-fiction series A for Andromeda, in which he played scientist Dennis Bridger. In 1962, however, he made his debut in the role with which he became virtually synonymous--that of Newtown's Detective Sergeant John Watt. As one of the crime-busting team crewing Z Cars, Watt was right-hand man to Detective Inspector Barlow (Stratford Johns) and was often placed in the role of the "nice one" to Stratford John's more aggressive, often bullying, senior officer. The two actors formed a dynamic, absorbing partnership that survived well beyond their departure from the series in 1965. The two stars resumed the same screen personas in their own follow-up series, Softly, Softly, a year after leaving the Newtown force.

With Barlow now raised to the rank of Detective Chief Superintendent and Watt now Detective Chief Inspector, the pair continued to hunt down criminals in their "nice and nasty" partnership, though now based in the fictional region of Wyvern, which appeared to be somewhere near Bristol. Three years into the series the pair were relocated to Thamesford Constabulary's CID Task Force and the programme itself was retitled Softly, Softly--Task Force. Barlow disappeared from the series in 1969, when he left for his own series Barlow at Large, leaving Watt to continue the battle with new partners for another seven years. Barlow and Watt were brought together again in 1973, when they disinterred the case files connected with the real-life "Jack the Ripper" murders of the 1880s. Together they pored over the various theories that the unidentified murderer might be a member of the royal family and so forth, but in the end even television's two most celebrated police detectives could draw no firm conclusion. Along similar lines was Second Verdict, another short series in which the two characters investigated unsolved murder cases from real life.

The extent to which Windsor became linked to just one role has subsequently militated against his taking parts that would challenge public perceptions of his original persona. He has, however, appeared as a guest in supporting roles in a number of established series (including All Creatures Great and Small, Boon, and Casualty) and in quiz shows and has also accumulated a number of film and stage credits. -David Pickering Watch Online Barlow Season 04 Episode 2 [S04E02] 'Away' TV Show Full Episode Protection Overview Barlow at Large is a British television programme broadcast in the 1970s, starring Stratford Johns in the title role. Johns had previously played Barlow in the Z-Cars, Softly, Softly and Softly, Softly: Taskforce series on BBC television during the 1960s and early 1970s. Barlow at Large began as a three-part self-contained spin-off from Softly, Softly: Taskforce in 1971 with Barlow co-opted by the home office to investigate police corruption in Wales.

Johns left Softly, Softly for good in 1972, but returned for a further series of Barlow at Large in the following year, Barlow having gone on full-time secondment to the Home Office. This second series, rather than telling one story in serial form, as the 1971 series had, was instead ten 50-minute episodes, each with a self-contained story. In this series, Barlow was supported by Norman Comer as Detective Sergeant Rees, who had been helpful to him during the first series. He also had to deal with the political machinations of the senior civil servant Fenton. In 1974 the series was renamed Barlow and a further two series of eight episodes each followed, introducing the character of Detective Inspector Tucker, played by Derek Newark. The final episode was transmitted in February 1975. The Barlow character was seen again in the series Second Verdict in which he, along with his former colleague John Watt, looked into unsolved cases and unsafe convictions from history. Barlow at Large is a British television programme broadcast in the 1970s, starring Stratford Johns in the title role.

Johns had previously played Barlow in the Z-Cars, Softly, Softly and Softly, Softly: Taskforce series on BBC television during the 1960s and early 1970s. Barlow at Large began as a three-part self-contained spin-off from Softly, Softly: Taskforce in 1971 with Barlow co-opted by the home office to investigate police corruption in Wales. Johns left Softly, Softly for good in 1972, but returned for a further series of Barlow at Large in the following year, Barlow having gone on full-time secondment to the Home Office. This second series, rather than telling one story in serial form, as the 1971 series had, was instead ten 50-minute episodes, each with a self-contained story. In this series, Barlow was supported by Norman Comer as Detective Sergeant Rees, who had been helpful to him during the first series. He also had to deal with the political machinations of the senior civil servant Fenton.

In 1974 the series was renamed Barlow and a further two series of eight episodes each followed, introducing the character of Detective Inspector Tucker, played by Derek Newark. The final episode was transmitted in February 1975. The Barlow character was seen again in the series Second Verdict in which he, along with his former colleague John Watt, looked into unsolved cases and unsafe convictions from history. Uploaded by: 4non

Question: In 'Z Cars' who played 'Detective Inspector Barlow'?
Answer: STRATFORD JOHNS